Editing Robert Lee Yates (section)

==Murders==
The murders Yates committed between 1988 and 1998 in Spokane all involved sex workers who worked along Spokane's East Sprague Avenue. The victims were initially solicited for sex work by Yates, who would have sex with them, do drugs with them, then kill them and dump their bodies in rural locations. All of his victims died of gunshot wounds to the head. 

On August 1, 1998, Yates picked up sex worker Christine Smith, who managed to escape after being shot, assaulted and robbed. On September 19, 1998, Yates was asked to give a DNA sample to Spokane police after being stopped, but refused, saying it was an extreme request.